An expanded College Football Playoff adds a lot of intrigue to the regular season for Group of Five teams. After watching the four-team postseason tournament from the outside for a vast majority of its existence — Cincinnati was the only team to make it, once, in almost a decade — the non-power conferences are guaranteed at least one spot in a 12-team format going forward.
Five automatic bids go to the highest-ranked conference champions. The Power Four conferences are virtually guaranteed one automatic spot each, but the Pac-12’s dissolution means the fifth auto-bid is open for one of the 66 teams spread across the Group of Five conferences.
Given the CFP selection committee’s hesitancy towards ranking Group of Five teams highly in the past, that might be the only slot that these programs can lay claim to. So that adds an extra air of importance to early-season showcases against Power Four programs — where Group of Five schools can make waves with close showings or upsets — and the individual conference races.
When looking over the 2024 college football schedule, some games stand out as potentially impactful in the race for the postseason. Here’s a look at contests featuring Group of Five teams that have a chance to influence how the 12-team College Football Playoff pans out.
Oregon vs. Boise State (Saturday, Sept. 7)
Oregon is already penciled into just about every College Football Playoff projection on the planet. Dan Lanning has built a machine in very short order thanks to his elite ability to amass talent and get the most out of his players. The Ducks are in great shape to compete for a Big Ten title in their first year with the conference. Getting an early win against what should be a strong Boise State squad could set the…
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